EFF Slams UK for ‘Cowardice’ Over Malema Visa Ban, Reaffirms Revolutionary Stance

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have launched a blistering attack on the United Kingdom after the country’s Home Office denied a visa to party leader Julius Malema, accusing Britain of political cowardice, censorship, and imperialist double standards.

The ban was issued ahead of a planned trip by Malema to address students at Cambridge University in May 2025. According to the UK, Malema’s “conduct, character, and associations” pose a threat to the public good, prompting the decision to not only deny his visa but also caution that future applications will likely be rejected unless he changes his political posture.

EFF: ‘We will not trade our beliefs for a visa’

In a strongly-worded statement, EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said the party was “not surprised” by the decision, citing the UK’s discomfort with Malema’s outspoken support for Palestine, and his critiques of racial inequality in post-apartheid South Africa.

“The UK has effectively banned the President of the EFF due to his position about the genocide of the Palestinian people…and the EFF’s stance on racial inequality in South Africa,” Thambo said.

The EFF said the UK had classified Malema as an “extremist”, and accused it of stifling democratic debate by conditioning visa access on ideological alignment.

“The UK and its allies can keep their visas. We will keep our Africa and our commitment to support the oppressed of the world, especially the Palestinian people.”

UK cites Hamas, Hezbollah links and controversial quotes

The UK Home Office cited Malema’s public support for Hamas and Hezbollah, both classified as terrorist organisations in the UK, and his endorsement of the October 7, 2023 attacks against Israel as “legitimate resistance.”

They also referenced Malema’s controversial 2016 remarks “We are not calling for the slaughter of white people, at least for now” and his defiant follow-up in 2022 when asked if he would ever say it again: “I’m not a prophet.”

The EFF slammed these references as deliberate distortions, and accused the UK of misrepresenting South African court rulings, including the Equality Court and Constitutional Court’s decisions on the party’s use of struggle songs like “Kill The Boer, Kill The Farmer.”

“There is no judge of the Equality Court of South Africa who ever asked Malema to declare he would never slaughter white people,” Thambo argued.
“It was the incompetent lawyer of the racist AfriForum, Mark Oppenheimer, who posed that question.”

A clash of ideologies: Africa vs the West

The EFF cast the visa denial not merely as a bureaucratic decision, but as an act of imperial intimidation, aimed at suppressing African revolutionary voices that challenge Western geopolitical narratives.

“This country, which still has the blood of Africans dripping from its hands… has suggested that all further applications by our President are likely to be denied unless he changes his posture,” the party said.

“This is not only cowardice by the UK, but also a pathetic expression of intolerance.”

Thambo added that Malema would not compromise his views in exchange for international access or acceptance.

Cambridge invitation and silencing debate

Malema had been formally invited by Cambridge University to speak on topics including decolonisation, African unity, and Palestinian solidarity. The visa ban now prevents him from honouring the invitation.

The EFF sees this as a broader attempt to silence African resistance movements and enforce Western ideological conformity.

EFF’s final word: ‘From the River to the Sea’

The party concluded its statement with a declaration of solidarity with Palestine, reiterating its anti-imperialist position:

“We join the world in declaring that From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.”

The UK has yet to formally respond to the EFF’s criticisms. Meanwhile, the visa denial has sparked global debate around freedom of speech, diplomatic censorship, and the limits of revolutionary rhetoric in international politics.

{Source: IOL}

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